


Gli Squali Sono Adorabili

by Saturn_the_Almighty



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And nose kisses, Aquariums, But you do you, Donut is from Iowa and he uses ain't, Fluff, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I have a deep love for Terrance Ephemera Sharkface, Ice Cream, If platonically calling eachother adorable is your jam, M/M, My Scarred Bois, RvB Fluff Week 2018, Sarge is mentioned one (1) time, Shark plushies - Freeform, Sharknut, Sharks, Swedish Fish - Freeform, The title means Sharks are Adorable in Italian, This ship is called Sharknut but I like Swedish Fish even if it makes no sense, Why is this the only work with this ship?, can be read as shipping or platonic, come on now, this is so goddamn domestic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-04 21:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14029350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saturn_the_Almighty/pseuds/Saturn_the_Almighty
Summary: A trip to the aquarium is just what these boys need. Add in a bit of thinly veiled yet very bad flirting, soft plush sharks, ice cream and BOOM! You've got the perfect date- um, day out...Written for RvB Fluff Week 2018! For sxpaiscia on Tumblr.





	Gli Squali Sono Adorabili

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sxpaiscia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sxpaiscia/gifts).



> I'm not posting this on Tumblr for several undisclosed reasons. I'm using "Terrance" bc y'all never gonna see me writing "Sharkface" more than once.

The sunlight filtered through the deep blue water from above and brightened the tunnel where Donut stood looking up at all the fish. The curved ceiling was made of a thick, transparent plastic to keep the tons of water from crashing down on them.

He had never been to an aquarium with a tunnel like this, but once Terrance had convinced him to go, he never wanted to visit one _without_  a tunnel. It was a whole new level of immersion into the lives of aquatic animals.

"Oh, I just love aquariums," Donut said, turning to look at Terrance, who was following a small shark with his eyes. "Me too. Can you guess what my favorite animal is?" he said. Donut smiled mischievously at him. 

"Hmmm. Is it... The sea turtles?" he asked, adopting an overly thoughtful expression. Terrance shook his head. "No, but they're nice," he said. A massive Grouper swam overhead.

Terrance could guess what Donut was getting at, and as much as he wanted to derail his little game, the smile that Donut wore... He couldn't possibly deny him the satisfaction. So, he played along.

"Is it the Catfish?" Donut asked. He stepped closer to Terrance and looked up at him with expectancy. Terrance frowned a bit. "No..." he answered, trying to stifle a grin.

Donut snapped his fingers suddenly. "Oh! How could I have been so silly! Your favorite animal is the _seahorses_! Of course!" He said with a huge grin. 

"Donut..." Terrance gestured to his scarred face, then to the many sharks swimming over their heads and put on a face of mock disappointment. Although, the effect was ruined by his giggling. "I like sharks," he said. The light was obscured for a moment by a perfectly timed shark swimming in front of the sun.

Donut giggled. "Silly, I know that. I was just messing with you." He lightly bumped Terrance's shoulder. Donut sighed a small, content sigh and smiled up at the sharks swimming all around them. They were pretty cool. Even if he didn't like sharks as much as Terrance, it was worth it to see the way his face lit up when he saw them.

Terrance smiled fondly and watched a school of small brightly colored fish swim by. "I remember being a kid and being absolutely obsessed with sharks. I knew every kind by common and Latin name, I knew all the technical terms and everything... I've completely forgotten most of it by now but-" He turned to look at Donut, "I still remember what my favorite shark was."

Donut tore his eyes away from a hammerhead that was lazily swimming past. "What? Is it a Great White?" he asked. Terrance shook his head.

"No. Everybody says that. I love Blacktip Reef Sharks. They're so gentle and small..." He smiled at Donut and tugged on his arm. Terrance tipped his head to the exit and Donut started walking with him.

"Like someone else I know," he added. Donut faked offense and playfully smacked Terrance's arm. He walked a moment in silence before shrugging. "It's true, I guess," he mumbled.

Terrance laughed. The scarring on his face crinkled a bit but he looked so happy. "Hey. I like you... Just the way you are," he said when they got out of the tunnel. His voice was lowered just enough that Donut almost doubted what he heard.

"You do?" he asked tentatively. Terrance stopped walking and tried to hide as much of his face with one hand without looking suspicious. "Um... Yeah, of course. You're cute," he said. And with a little less hesitation, "You're adorable."

"Hey, let's go to the gift shop," he hastily tacked on, after Donut just gaped at him. He tried not to draw attention with his reaction, but he couldn't help his little squeal as he finally came to his senses.

"Awww, my little shark thinks I'm adorable!" he whispered. Terrance tried to mask his embarrassment beneath a scoff. "Yeah yeah, don't go shouting it from the rooftops," he said, trying not to sound too annoyed. Donut gave him a sly smile. "On to plan B then," he joked.

Terrance shook his head fondly and kept walking. The hallway led past a few small tanks filled with tiny, shimmering fish which Donut stopped to admire and it continued on to the gift shop and the exit. After Donut pointed out a fish that reminded him of Sarge, he slowly and very stealthily interlaced their fingers on the walk to the gift shop.

By the time they arrived, Donut's hand was holding Terrance's just tightly enough that he couldn't possibly let go. Not that he was complaining, Donut's hand was just small enough that it fit perfectly with his. Plus, it was warm in the best way.

So they held hands as they browsed the aisles filled with story books and teeshirts and necklaces. Donut got excited by a tiny gray octopus plush and _almost_  let go of Terrance's hand to go look at it.

"Oh, it's so cute!" he said, stroking the soft fabric. "I want this," he whispered. Terrance chuckled. He scanned the shelves, looking for something more his style. Then, something shockingly bright caught his eye. "How about... This?" He asked, reaching over and pulling a huge bright pink shark plush from the shelf.

He held it in front on Donut's face and made little _'chomp chomp'_ noises at him. Donut grinned and took the shark from Terrance. "No no, it's like this," he said. Terrance looked a little confused before Donut stood up on his tiptoes and planted a kiss on the tip of his nose.

Terrance was stunned into silence for a second while he tried to find something to look at that _wasn't_  Donut's beaming face. He decided to just grab the shark back and used it to cover his face. He was probably grinning like an idiot. And blushing a ton.

"Yeah, I'm gonna get this," he mumbled, burying his face in the soft fabric. Donut smiled. "Hey." He tugged on the shark's fin until Terrance looked up at him.

"You're adorable too. Sharks are adorable," Donut said as he picked up another shark plush from the shelf and hugged it tightly. "Super adorable." He took Terrance's hand and started walking toward the checkout counter.

Terrance walked just slightly behind Donut so he could collect himself. Donut's hand still being warm wasn't helping. Gosh, he was just so cute.

Donut insisted on paying. Terrance didn't really want to argue. He liked the way Donut looked so in charge, the way the afternoon light from the wide open windows bounced off his bottle blonde hair and how he was always so confident, even with a huge scar across half his face.

Donut glanced up at him once while the cashier was ringing up their items and flashed him one of his signature world-stopping smiles. Donut could make the whole earth dissapear with his smile. Terrance smiled back, his a little more uncertain but still full of joy. There was no one he'd rather be spending the day with.

When they exited the gift shop, both clutching soft pink sharks, Terrance was struck with a rush of warm air. The aquarium was so cool that he'd forgotten how hot it was outside. Donut didn't look like he even noticed.

"Do you want to go get some ice cream?" Terrance asked, pulling out his phone and checking the time. It was 3:24 p.m. 

"Oh yeah! We should!" Donut shouted, taking Terrance's hand again and tugging him along. Terrance grudgingly sped up to a jog and hoped that Donut knew where he was going.

"This place makes the best Tiramisu ice cream!" Donut said excitedly as he pushed open the door and basked in the cold indoor air. Terrance followed Donut to the counter and listened as he rattled off four different flavors and recommended six more to him.

Terrance didn't honestly know what he wanted. Suggesting ice cream was spur of the moment decision that he made because it was sweltering out and he had a pretty good idea of how happy it would make Donut. So he went with his go-to order, chocolate and strawberry.

They decided to take the long way home. Their apartment building was within walkable distance, but Donut wanted to take a stroll through the park on the way. He accidentally-on-purpose bumped into Terrance's shoulder a couple times on their walk and stuck his tongue out when he got a confused glance from Terrance.

Terrance finished his ice cream first, since he only had two scoops. He silently offered to carry Donut's shark plush and ended up holding them both while Donut walked next to him. He got distracted by the huge, fluffy clouds in the sky and almost tripped over his own feet looking up at them.

Terrance reached out with his free hand and grabbed Donut by the arm to keep him from falling. Donut gently patted Terrance's scarred cheek and gave him a relieved smile. "Thanks," he said. Terrance couldn't get enough of Donut's warm, glowing smiles. He could feel his heart start beating faster at that, and couldn't help the heat rising to his cheeks.

"I thought _I'd_  be the one making you weak in the knees," Terrance mumbled, half hoping that Donut wouldn't hear. Instead, he got Donut's full attention and a particularly deep blush. "Oh you do that _all_  the time. I'm just better at hiding it," he said with a wink. Terrance watched as he caught a dribble of ice cream running down his hand.

"Except for the fact that my heart is beating a million miles an hour right now. Ain't nothing I can do about that," Donut continued with a carefree smile.

"Then let's sit and calm down," Terrance said. He stopped walking and sat down under the shade of a big tree. Donut shrugged slightly and sat next to him. His ice cream was almost gone.

Neither of them spoke for a while. Terrance visibly relaxed when a cool breeze blew past them. Donut smiled at that, a big grin dancing across his face as he leaned against Terrance's shoulder.

"You're not really a warm weather person, are you?" he guessed. Terrance gave him a sheepish smile. "Summer isn't my favorite season," he said. "I prefer autumn." Donut nodded. He finished off the last bit of his ice cream and grabbed Terrance's free hand, lacing their fingers together. "I like Spring. You know me, can't resist all the pretty colored flowers," he said, letting out a small chuckle.

Terrance made a vague noise, enough to let Donut know he agreed. Donut stretched out his legs and kicked his feet against the ground. Another breeze blew past and Donut leaned closer to Terrance.

Terrance moved his arm and reached around Donut's shoulder to pull him closer. He got a small, content hum from Donut. Neither of them moved, just let the relative silence wash over them as they soaked in the afternoon warmth.

"I really enjoyed today, Teddy," Donut said after a while, startling Terrance back to reality. He squinted from the light and looked down at Donut, unsure of what he just heard.

"What did you call me?" he asked, mostly confused. Donut nervously shifted his eyes. He looked guilty. "Um..." Donut started. His eyes flicked up to Terrance before his face took on a darker shade of red.

"I might have called you Teddy by accident?" he said, giving a little shrug and a not quite sincere sheepish smile. Terrance frowned slightly. 

"Don't do it again, please." He stopped for a second, considering what it was he didn't like so much. "It makes me sound... Like a little dog. You know, the tiny ones who bark for hours on end and rich old ladies carry them around in bags?" He said, and Donut nodded.

"Oddly specific, but I know exactly what you're talking about. I won't call you that again... How about Terry?" he tried, looking up expectantly at Terrance, a nervous chuckle filling the silence.

He thought about it for a moment before shifting his position until he got himself loose from Donut. "No," he decided. He didn't give a reason why. Terrnace stood up and brushed the dirt off his legs.

"But don't you want a cute nickname?" Donut asked, getting to his feet and opening his hands pleadingly. Terrance glanced down at him but didn't give in, no matter how adorable Donut's face was. "Not particularly," Terrance said, shrugging. He could see Donut's shoulders sag. 

"But I want something special to call you..." he mumbled. He sounded so defeated that Terrance couldn't help but wince. He searched for something to say that might help Donut feel better. There was no way he was letting the end on an unhappy note.

"You already called me your little shark today," Terrance offered. He noticed Donut lift his head up as he picked at a bit of fluff on one of the shark plushies. His eyes lit up and Terrance was immediately entranced by his mismatched gaze.

"Can I keep calling you that?" Donut asked, the excitement evident in his tone. Terrance couldn't resist the way Donut's voice founded. He doubted if anyone really could.

Terrance turned his head to look around before leaning closer for effect. "Only when no one else is around," he said, lowering his voice considerably.

"Yes!" Donut squealed. He grabbed his shark from Terrance and hugged it tightly. He and Donut began their walk home, each clutching their sharks and making small conversation on the way.

"Do you know that you're really cute?" Donut said out of the blue. They were almost back home and the sun was getting lower in the sky. Terrance smiled.

"I do know that. You know what else?" he asked, looking down at Donut. Donut cocked his head to the side, asking a silent question. Terrance let the silence hang for a second before cracking a grin. "So are you."

**Author's Note:**

> Lol my aquarium doesn't have one of those cool tunnel thingies but they're a trope, so I kinda had to... Mine does, however, have a huge room where one of the fifty foot tall walls is four inch thick super strong plastic-polymer something or other and behind it is several thousand gallons of water with enormous catfish and other big freshwater fish swimming around, just chillin'.
> 
> Needless to say, my aquarium is pretty awesome.
> 
> ☆
> 
> Boy oh boy do I love rare pairs! ❤❤❤
> 
> Aye por dios, I'm in LOVE with these boys! I'm never going to stop finding new ships now. Sxpaiscia, thanks for making me write this. I'd never have done anything with this ship if you hadn't yelled at me.❤
> 
> AND if you want to support organizations which strive to help save sharks, including the Blacktip Reef Shark (which is near threatened) check out some of these and donate if you can, or just share because these sharks need our help to stay safe from overfishing and careless humans!  
> http://welovesharks.club/top-10-shark-conservation-organizations-support-2017/amp/
> 
> Don't forget to leave a comment and gimme some L O V E ! ❤ ❤ ❤


End file.
